Stairrow

During a rainy day in Phuket, I spent some time exploring our hotel. I was bored and stuck inside, so I went for a stroll to pass the time. Wandering down a random hallway, I was surprised to see this modern/minimal scene ahead. My eyes first went to the bright neon green exit sign, but I could also appreciate the symmetry encapsulating the arrow-shaped staircase.

It was the combination of these features that intrigued me. All were fighting for my attention, but none of them could hold it. I would enjoy the architecture for a moment and then move my eyes to the exit sign for a moment. They needed each other, a combination of structure and whimsy.

The colorful green light brings some playfulness to the scene. In complete contrast to the structure below, it is bright, bold, and slightly off-center. However, the sign loses value without the beautiful arrangement of multiple right angles.

A lot of structure, with a little whimsy. I took a photo.

One side note. To the right is an unbroken wall. The exit sign arrow pointing right should be pointing upwards. More whimsy?

Turbine

This is another perspective that I found interesting inside the Bell Tower in Antwerp, Belgium. A few floors up from where I took the horizontal Helix image I shared a few weeks ago, this is a vertical view straight down. It took several attempts to get the alignment correct in the camera, as I had to lean over the railing and extend my arms to get the camera centered over the staircase. It was not dangerous and there was no risk of me falling…just the camera. :)

However, composing a vertical composition while looking horizontally at my camera’s 45 degree LDC tilt-screen was challenging. It involved a lot of hand/arm/feet repositioning and trial & error before I had what I felt was a suitable image.

Standing at the bottom of spiral staircases and shooting upward is much easier. I did that here also, but the view from the bottom is not near as cool as this view from the top.

Helix

This image was taken in the main administrative building of the city of Antwerp, known as “The Bell Tower.” There is not an actual bell to be found inside the tower (at least, I could not find one), but there is an amazing spiral staircase that stretches 14 stories. Being a public building, it is open to visitors and easy to reach the staircase behind the main lobby. The staff in the reception area told me it was no problem to take some photos of the staircase, so I walked up to the top and took images at several different angles…looking up, down and this one, straight on.

As you know by now, I am drawn to how various shapes and lines interplay in photography. From this perspective, you find squares, diamonds, triangles, circles, repeating patterns, symmetry…and, of course the helix. All this variety, and yet I found it to be rather simple and pleasing.

I later learned that the building derived its name from its previous owner, Bell Laboratories…so perhaps there is not an actual bell to be found here after all.

The Hidden Galaxy

Before arriving in Naples, I had researched a building that I wanted to photograph…specifically, its large, grand staircase. The building location is not well known and even though I had found the address online, I walked past it twice before I found the (somewhat) hidden entrance. Tucked in between two retail shops is a small walkway that opens into the interior courtyard of the building. I did not see a way to get inside though and I was a bit puzzled as to how to find this staircase.

Walking back towards the street, I noticed a security guard’s office. I approached him with my camera in hand to ask about the staircase. He instructed me that I could not go up the stairs as it is a private residence. He did, however, agree to allow me take a photo from the lobby floor and pointed to another (somewhat) hidden hallway located behind me. 

At the end of that hallway, I entered the lobby and finally saw the staircase with this slender, oval design! It was beautiful, but not large at all. My assumptions were wrong. In reality, the lobby was rather small and narrow…this presented a challenge.

I expected my widest lens would be fine for this shot, but it was not wide enough! The only possibility to fit the staircase in the frame was to get on the floor…so that is what I did. Lying on my back with my legs under the stairs, I slid left & right and back & forth get in this position. With my head near the center of the lobby floor (and with the camera pressed against my face), I was just barely able to squeeze the entire staircase into the frame. 

I suspect it would have looked comical to anyone watching this, but in the end, I got the image I wanted. Thanks in part to a kind security guard and the fact that I have a small head. :) Hope you agree that the results were worth getting a little dirty.

Blue Descent

A rather short post today, as life events this week are restricting my free time. I did, however, want to keep my weekly streak alive and publish an image for those of you following this thread.

This is a staircase in Hamburg. It is in the Laeiszhof building, one of the many historical buildings in the city. It was the color that first caught my attention. I find something soothing about blue in photographs. This may be the reason I like capturing landscapes and cityscapes in the “blue hour”. I don’t think that I have ever seen a blue staircase before. I suspect others exist, but this was a first for me. Without the blue, I am not sure I would have even taken a photo of this staircase. I have seen many others staircases that are more interesting, but the border of blue made it unique in my eyes. I hope you agree. 

Until next week, when I hope to have a bit more time to share an image and a story…

Escher in Berlin

I hope some of you are fans of M.C. Escher…he is easily one of my favorite artists. His works always grab my attention and then hold it, as I admire his creativity and how his lines and angles constantly change your perspective and play with your mind. 

As I wandered through this shopping mall in Berlin, specifically this atrium, I immediately thought of his ‘Impossible Construction’ works. This place was just filled with dizzying shapes, lines and patterns. My eyes seemed to jump all over the place…from the escalator over to the stairs, circling the floor until a pillar takes me up and it starts all over again! It was so similar to what my eyes do when viewing something by Escher… 

To capture this, I grabbed my widest angle lens and leaned over the balcony so that nothing obstructed the floor below. I decided that, to me, the beauty was really about the chaos…so I settled on a perspective that included all of the pieces that kept my eyes bouncing around. 

I would be interested in hearing what you first notice in this image…or where you end up. Bonus points will be awarded if you can find the man having coffee. Yes, there is a man having coffee in this image…or perhaps it is Escher’s ghost. :)

For any of you interested in having a look at Escher’s Impossible Construction works, you can check out some of them on the M.C. Escher Foundation's website.

Tunneled

One of the things I have noticed in Germany is the importance given to staircases in their architecture. Some staircases are proudly displayed in a grand atrium, while others, like this one here, are tucked away in the back of the building and only seen by those who work there. Regardless of their placement, the attention to detail given to the design of these staircases is impressive. 

I often find the staircases to be the most interesting architectural aspect and I regularly now search them out when visiting a building for the first time. I have photographed many of them and while sometimes they can look similar, they are all unique in some fashion…much like snowflakes, I suppose. 

I found this staircase while going to an appointment in an office building in Munich. I was running late, so I went first to the elevator. It was being serviced so I had to take the stairs…a fortunate detour. 

The Birth of an Idea...

While wandering around the Old Town of Prague, I walked into a building called the House of the Black Madonna. Why?…because anyplace with this name must be cool, right? 

Actually, I went in because this building currently houses the Czech Museum of Cubism and is the first example of Cubist architecture in Prague (built in 1912).I saw some images of the building and the exhibits on the museum’s website and thought there may be some interesting things to see here. 

After walking through the Grand Orient Cafe located on the ground floor I arrived at this staircase and I looked up…I thought the curves & lines tracing the shape of a light bulb all the way to the top of the building was so unique. This staircase ended up being my favorite part of the entire building.

Strangely, in researching the building after I left Prague, this staircase is not mentioned in any materials I could find online. I assumed it would be featured as part of the architect’s design, perhaps even named, but I was not able to find anything significant mentioning the staircase. I find it somewhat sad that this place is hidden away in the interior of a building thousands of people walk by everyday and never see. But now you know, and I recommend you stop inside if you ever get to Prague. 

Oh, and if you are curious, the building was named after a stone statue that originally adorned the facade and still remains to this day.

The Ribbon Staircase

This is actually a staircase in one of the stores on 5th Ave. in NYC. I believe it is called the Ribbon Staircase, as it weaves and flows in multiple directions as you ascend/descend. Every few steps you get a different perspective of steel, glass and concrete, offering a variety of compositions.

I am excited to announce that this image was awarded Honorable Mention in the Abstract category of the 2016 Monochrome Awards photo contest.